


resonate

by zyruuu



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: (nat deserves her own tag but i cba to tag the rest so), Abuse of italics, Again, Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, CAUSE THEY ARE STRONG, Death, Gen, I AM IN TEARS, Irondad, Parent Tony Stark, Tony Stark Feels, and, bro fuck that morgan scene i made my own, i was listening to farther away, i wrote this in an hour whilst crying over endgame on christmas day, im v sad, the infinity stones, they SPEAK, tony snaps thanos, we all see where my priotities are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zyruuu/pseuds/zyruuu
Summary: Endgame fic - the stones comfort Tony.They warned him that it would burn, but it didn’t hurt at all. He felt the numbness and the power that they held - the power that they willingly shared with him.For them, it’s all for them -he begged.We accept -they let him do what he wished.Iron Man snapped Thanos and his Army into dust, and the stones cried out their apologies. He was worthy. He was forgiven. We are sorry. You did it.
Relationships: Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, The Infinity Stones & Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	resonate

He didn’t expect them to be kind.

Then again, they were magical gem fragments from the quote-unquote explosion that began life in the universe, so Tony learned that there was no way he could even comprehend their abilities.

It wasn’t even his suit that pulled the stones to him, oh no. The moment he touched the gauntlet on Thanos’ hand, the stones left the titan and fell in his palm. He heard a faint whispering, but he didn’t have time to listen as Thanos threw him to the side.

The hit winded him, and he curled on his side, the whispering grew louder, but it was still raspy and soft, like an old man. He opened his palm, and he could hear it clearly. There was more than one voice. The stones, all six, were _happy_. 

They understood.

Tony sat up, and the whispering became distant cheers. He lifted his hand and commanded his suit to make compartments for the stones. They crawled up his arm, singing in joy. They hated Thanos just as much as he did, it seemed.

They existed throughout all of time and space, living in one constant reality. Infinite power contained in a gem that the human mind couldn’t conceive - all connecting to _his_ soul. He felt what they did. Their despair, that they had been used in such a disastrous way - they helped bring life into this universe and had been wielded by a madman who thought he knew better. He felt the guilt of the soul stone; it was the one who deemed Thanos worthy - it now deemed _him_ worthy. He may have gained a lot from the snap, but he still lost.

_(an image of him holding a newborn Morgan appeared in his mind - this was all for her - but he remembered realising, as he held her, that he had lost his first child in this war, the war he was going to end)_

It was all for them. He couldn’t let Thanos live, not with his family in the line of fire. He risked everything to bring them all back. He wouldn’t let it happen again _(please, god, not again)_.

He showed the stones Morgan and Peter and Pepper and Rhodey and Happy and Nat and hell, even _Cap_. This was all for the ones he loved. He showed them that _this_ was for them, and only them. It wasn’t because of some misguided god complex or because it was the ‘right thing’. It was purely _selfish_ \- his own desire for them to be happy for once, the exact opposite of what Thanos’ motive was.

They comforted him. He was kind, so they were kind back. Thanos was all chivalry and rage - it was pretentious, they didn’t like it. They wanted raw honesty, and Tony gave it to them with his whole being.

They felt his love, and they apologised. 

He forgave them, so long as he was forgiven too.

He hoped this would be enough, enough for the world to forgive him of his sins - the weapons, the Expo, Killian, Ultron, the Accords, _failing the world_. He would beat Thanos this time, and maybe, just maybe, he’d make up for all the bad he’d done.

 _Would Morgan understand? Would she be okay? Would she grow up proud of her dad?_

_Would she forgive him for leaving?_

They warned him that it would burn, but it didn’t hurt at all. He felt the numbness and the power that they held - the power that they willingly shared with _him_.

 _For them, it’s all for them_ \- he begged.

 _We accept_ \- they let him do what he wished.

Iron Man snapped Thanos and his Army into dust, and the stones cried out their apologies. _He was worthy. He was forgiven. We are sorry. You did it._

* * *

Everything faded in a blinding light, and his surroundings changed. 

His arm was still raised in a snap, but he wasn’t wearing his armour anymore. 

There was nothing in the distance, and he didn’t recognise where he was now. Looking up, he saw speckles of blue, green, red, purple, yellow - five of the stones. He could hear cries from the orange-tinted sky, and he knew he was inside the soul stone. 

_Why am I here?_ He questioned the same way he did when he had the gauntlet.

“Hey.”

Tony turned in the direction of the voice and saw - a teenage girl?

The girl radiated an aura that pulled him in. Like he knew he could trust her. She had brown hair, brown eyes. She even looked like -

Oh.

_Oh._

Was… was this… 

“ _Morgan_?”

The girl - _Morgan_ \- smiled as he stepped towards her. She was beautiful.

“Hi, dad.”

No - Morgan couldn’t be here, not in the stone - he didn’t _want_ her here. She was supposed to be safe.

“But you called me here.”

 _No…_ “No, I didn’t…” It wasn’t possible. 

She tilted her head to the side as if confused. “You wanted to know if she would be okay, in the end.”

 _She_? Why was she talking like that?

“W-What?” he stared at her, and Morgan’s eyes flashed with eternity. It knew it well enough to identify. It had haunted him since Loki came with his army; _teeth and blood and growls and explosions and death_.

He understood now. It wasn’t Morgan. It was - 

“You’re the Infinity Stones.”

The universe smiled at him. 

“Not quite, but close enough.”

Tony raised a brow, “and that means?”

“We exist everywhere and we are constant. We are the beginning and the end of everything.”

“Yeah…” Tony grasped his arm and squeezed. It felt weird to not feel the pain he felt on the battlefield. “That… doesn’t answer my question.”

“The stones are simply… _remnants_ of creation.”

“You… You’re saying there something _stronger_ than the stones out there?”

Did he do the right thing? Would the earth _ever_ be safe? He looked around him, at the burnt orange sky - he knew it would be his last sunset - it was too late for him.

“It’s not your problem now. Why don’t you let someone else save your world, hm?”

He squinted at her. Did this cosmic entity just _sass_ him? 

He let it go for now. But something was bothering him. “How are you…” he gestured to her body.

“We have dominion over the universe, my friend. We can see into one little girl’s future and make a temporary copy.”

A copy? He felt tears well up in his eyes. “So, this - she…”

“She’s never going to forget you.” It _was_ her. Or at least, some version. One that he’d never see.

He choked back a sob. “ _God_ …”

Not-Morgan took a step forward so she was right in front of him. She grabbed his hand. “She never stopped _loving_ you.”

He looked into her eyes and saw everything from his nightmares. But he wasn’t scared anymore - it was magical.

He fell to his knees. “Are - did… Were you happy?”

“Yeah.” Morgan grinned, crouching in front of him. “Yeah, I was. I met Peter, Uncle Happy was there. So was Aunt May -”

“And your mom? Rhodey?”

She began to stroke his hair and his breathing sped up. “Mom was sad for a long time. Uncle Rhodey took some time off. But we all had each other - we were all okay.” 

“Yeah?” He held her hand tightly as if she would fade into dust.

“I hated what you did,” she said softly. “I hated being without you, but I was so proud, dad. You saved the world…”

“At what cost?”

“You’re still worried?” she questioned. “Would you prefer the other?”

He snapped out of it, shaking his head for a second. “The other?”

Not-Morgan glowed, shining as bright as the sun.

Peter knelt in her place.

His heart pounded, and his chest grew warm. _God_ \- he left Peter _just_ as he got him back - 

“The world mourned you, but I did the most.”

_No… Pete…_

Peter sat down properly, crossing his legs in front of Tony. “It took me years to move on. I was lied to, tricked, broken, _exposed_. But I fell in love, made a team, met an alien that liked to eat people, though he _really_ liked chocolate.” Tony choked up a laugh, which sounded more like a sob. “I taught Morgan how to use your suit. She wasn’t a fan of it, but she helped make a version that she trusted to her best friend, just like you did with Mr Rhodey. Morgan took _Rescue_ in the end, would you believe! Riri and Morgan were quite the couple.”

Pete grabbed his arm and traced over his knuckles. “I found my way in a kid of my own - not actually my own - god, imagine me as a dad, but you did pretty well so maybe…” He smiled, shaking his head. “Anyway… I mentored this kid and I finally understood what you meant by the grey hairs - he _never_ listened when I told him to stay put, and he would trash his suit _constantly_! Always asking me for repairs and web fluid! Miles was a handful, but he was family.”

They were really going to be okay without him.

Peter’s eyes flashed. Tony knew he was talking to something else. Something powerful.

“Thank you. For everything you’ve done.”

He knew he was dying, at that moment. For real this time. All those times he narrowly avoided death, it was nothing compared to this. But… it was okay this time… Right? This was the right thing? He was _so_ tired.

 _It’s not selfish to rest now_ \- the stones’ whispers echoed from the outside.

Pepper would be safe. 

_You’ll see them again_ \- they reassured him.

Morgan would be happy.

 _You’re going now, so far, further and further away_ \- they released him.

Peter would live on to be the best hero of all of them. 

_Away from the vulnerability and fear_ \- they soothed his weary heart.

All his concerns. The tears he shed as he woke from a nightmare. The anxieties he felt every time he looked to the sky. It was all over now... 

_Away from the threat to the world_ \- they promised him peace.

The world… would be safe...

the world…

would be…

safe...

* * *

_You did it._

_You won._

_They are safe now. Everyone is safe._

_We are sorry._

Tony legs trembled beneath them, and he felt to the ground, leaning against some rubble.

 _It’s okay_ \- they whispered.

It’s never the heat that hurts the most, it’s the burn after, the care and scars that happen after. He didn’t feel that though.

 _Be at peace_ \- they murmured.

Even if he didn’t ask, the stones used their power to soothe his arm. It was numb, he couldn’t feel _anything_. 

Rhodey looked sad, but they reassured him that he was _so_ , _so proud_. 

Peter came, and _god_ , he couldn’t bear to see him cry. He wanted to hold the kid one last time.

_We are sorry._

One stone yearned, making the connection between the two, realising that _this was who he lost_. 

Peter held his hand and begged. His heart sped up just a little bit faster as the kid began to cry. One stone’s energy flooded through the cracks in his arm, calming him.

Pepper tried to be brave, but he could see right through it. _I’m sorry_ … He hoped she knew.

She said that they’d be okay.

_“We all had each other - we were all okay.”_

He believed her. Even… even if he didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave them. Yet, they began to fade.

She said he could rest.

Could he? Would they forgive him if he did?

 _You’ve earned it_ \- the stones were fading too.

It hurt to breathe.

  
  
  
  
  


_Goodbye._

**Author's Note:**

> ive been listening to dont ever forget/farther away from the pmd2 soundtrack and it is the SADDEST SHIT HONESTLY
> 
> fuckinsfvgbh im so FUCKING SAD
> 
> WHY IS HE GONE


End file.
